HOW TO CREATE A PERFECT BEAUTY IN ART AND IN...

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University Singidunum, The Faculty of Media and Communications, Belgrade

DOI 10.5937/kultura1341101MUDK 7.03 7.01

316.774originalan naučni rad

HOW TO CREATE A PERFECT BEAUTY IN ART AND IN

REALITY? ON THE CULTURE OF BEAUTY,

ITS CONEMPORARY AND EARLY MODERN RAMIFICATIONS AND

THE FOUNDATION OF THE ICONOGRAPHY OF DOVE REAL BEAUTY CAMPAIGN IN EARLY MODERN ART AND THEORY. AN ART HISTORICAL VIEW

Abstract: Although history does not offer the dictate of beauty such as we encounter today in the industry of beauty, the notion of beauty in visual arts was not far from the contemporary issues. We may note that sensual beauty, during the long history of the culture of beauty, was taken as a reflection of a higher perfection. However, it originated from the nature and artists could improve the nature in their art by using various strategies to realize the beauty as perfection. Today, we encounter the same ancient and early modern ideals and strategies combined with new media, especially with the computer generated image. The concept of ideal beauty has not changed. The media have, and the development of the technology enabled an embodiment of purified and perfected nature, as well as a demonstration of the process

ANGELINA MILOSAVLJEVIĆ AULT

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of its surpassing – unfolding in front of our eyes – as in the case of the commercial for “Dove (Natural) Beauty” Campaign that may serve as an illustration of the ancient process of study, selection and idealization. The same concerns did not belong exclusively to the domain of visual arts, i.e. virtual worlds, but they also represented a set of more worldly, everyday life, subjects of discourses on beauty and the possibility of its achievement, as expoused in the seminal On the Beauty of Women, written in 1541 by Florentine humanist Angelo Firenzuola.

Keywords: culture of beauty, idealization, Dove commerical, Early Modern art and theory, new media vs. old media

Thestartingpointformyargument1isthenotionthatmediologybroadly indicates a wideranging method for the analysis ofcultural transmission in society and across societies, and thatthe practice of mediology is not a science, and as such mayrange across academic disciplines.2 I shall findmyself in thepositionofamediologist(ifImay)whoistryingtofindwhathasbeenmissed in theordinary institutional partition of scientific disciplines,3certainlyawareoftheriskofbeingmisunderstoodandseverelycriticizedforthisfutile,ignorantandclumsyeffort.

Theideaforthispapercameseveralyearsago,whenIfirstsawthecommercial titledDove Real Beauty: Evolution.Asanarthistorian,Iwasstruckbythecomplexityofitscontent,aswellasbytheillustration,init,oftheconceptofstudy,selectionandidealizationthat,duringtheearlymodernera,wastheprocessoccuringonlyinanartist’smind.IadmitthatIcannoteventrytobegintocoverallthenuancesofpossibleinterpretations,whichsuchasimplevideocommercialinspiresinanarthistorian,butIshouldliketotry,andIamwillingtoplacemyheadonthelogofcriticism.

Iwouldagree,fromthestandingpointofanarthistorian,andforthesakeofthepresentargument,withthestatementthatthemethodologies of mediology and its neighboring disciplinesappear somewhat deficient in the matters of analysis of the

1 ThispaperwasrealizedwiththesupportoftheResearchProjectsponsoredbyTheMinistryofEducation,ScienceandTechnologicalDevelopmentofTheRepublicofSerbia,IO177009.

2 A shorter version of this essay was presented at The 2nd International Interdisciplinary Symposium Philosophy of Media“ArtandMedia”,Opatija,Croatia,September1922,2012.

3 AsimpliedbythewritingsofmediologistRégisDebrayinhisIntroduction à la médiologie, PressesUniversitairesdeFrance–PUF,2000.Idonotintendtoansweranyofthequestionsaskedbymediology,asIlackthenecessaryunderstandingof thisdiscipline;especiallynot thequestion:Howdoesanidea become a “material force”, andwhat are the social and institutionalmediations thatgivemedia andcommunication technologies their culturalpower?

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essentialnatureofmedia,4i.e.oftheir(oftencriticized)functiontoshapeconsciousnessof“unconscious”individuals.Naturally,one such complex discipline attracts scholars from variousfields of research, who either play active roles in creation ofthecontentsof theseever“new”media,oractas theircritics,oreventrytodecipherthelessobviousaspectsofthecontentsofferedbythemassmedia.And,assuch,itmustrelyonwiderscientificplatform.5

Ithaslongbeenclearthattheculturalmatrixofourcivilizationhas been defined by the presence of mass media with theirpotentials analyzed either in terms of affirmation, or in termsof caution and apprehension (even when scholars retain thecoldobjectivity).6Itseemstome,thus,thatmediology7isstillhoveringbetweenthesetwopositions.

The philosophy of media, on the other hand, is still in themakinganditsprospectsarewide.Isurelyagreethatthemediaareasoldashumanbeings’needtocommunicate,andthatthisiswhere themethodologies and expertise of sciences such aslinguistics,psychology,sociology,historyofart,etc.,comeintoplay.Because,onlythetrueadeptscanrecognizethepertinentcontentswhich, invarioushistorical contexts, “workedupon”various“markets”, andcontribute toourunderstandingof thephenomenaattachedtothemassmediacommunication,whichappearedasnewparadigm in thediscoursesoncontemporaryculture,notsolongago.

In an analysis of the methodologies ofmediology there alsoarose a question of the possibility to establish an aesthetics

4 Judgingby the scholarswhosepapersarepublished in theproceedingsoftheInternationalSymposium“PhilosophyofMedia”,heldinCres,Croatia,September2011:Kultura133,Beograd2011.

5 See Pavletić, L. (2011) “Tko i kako istražuje medije”,Kultura No. 133,Beograd:Zavodzaproučavanjekulturnograzvitka,pp.203211.However,itisnotclear,fromthecontentsofthepaperspresentedattheaforementionedsymposium,whatismediology:Isitasciencewhoseobjectofresearcharemedia as such and their social roles?Or, on the other hand, their authorsunderstandmediologyasawiderangingmethodfortheanalysisofculturaltransmission,etc.–asstatedinthemaintext.

6 Membersofhistoricavantgardeandneoavantgardemovementssawthemaspowerfulmeansforpromotionofnewideologies;wedonothavetostressthe contribution of Marshall McLuhan, Guy Debord and their followers.SeeAlić, S. (2009) Mediji, od zavođenja do manipulacije (Media From Seduction to Manipulation), Zagreb, pp. 2935; Vuksanović, D. (2007)Filozofija medija (The Philosophy of Media), Beograd, Fakultet dramskihumetnosti; Vuksanović, D. (2011) “Filozofija medija vs. misliti medije”(“ThePhilosophyofMediavsThinkingtheMedia”),KulturaNo.133,pp.1325.

7 As it is understood by the scholars whose papers are published in, theaforementioned,KulturaNo.133.

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of media,8 which would embrace all relating research areas,andwhichwouldbebasedon thepremise that theconceptofaesthetics (aisthesis) implies, more or less clearly, both thesensoryperceptionandtheprocessoflearning(i.e.,intellectualunderstanding). I believe that this is acceptable and that itjustifies the establishment of an aesthetics of media of masscommunicationonlyifwetakeintoconsiderationthefactthatthecontemporarymediarelyonintensivestimulationofsenses,intheirmarketingofgoods.9Ontheotherhand,ifweassumethat the notion of aesthetics revolves around the notion of beauty (essential, natural and artificial), as proposed by someofmycolleagues,10 then Iwould suggest that itwouldnotbeappropriatetospeakaboutanaesthetics of media,butabouttherepresentationsofbeauty inmassmedia,aswellasabout thecriteriaforitsappraisal(appraisalofbeauty,tobesure).

Theexperienceofthehistoryofart,withitsobjective(i.e.,thecomplex analysis of the contents of visual messages and thechangestheyundergooverthecourseoftime),mayhelpussolvethesubtle,andsomewhatconfusing,dilemma– toucheduponabove–andsuggesttheobjectofresearchandthemethodologyof the proposed aesthetics of media, acting as amediologistart historian and pointing to the possible crossing of certainscientificdisciplines.

Earlymodernarttheorywouldproveespeciallyvaluable,here.Thecontemporarytendencytoconstituteanaestheticsofmediaremindsof theneed, felt in theearly15thcentury, toestablishan apology for “painting” (i.e., illusion of reality on twodimensional surface), to explain the language of image, fromwhichthereemergedbothhistoryofartandmodernaesthetics.Atthesametime,thereappearedattemptstodefinethelawsandusefulness, i.e.purpose,of image,aswellas tounderstanditspotentialtoinfluencebeholder(consumer)–basedonthestudyofancientsources.

This phenomenon coincided with the emergence of newcivilizational codemarked by the (massmedia) technologicalrevolution:Gutenberg’spress.Halfamillenniumlater,wearefacingthechangesinthecommunicationstandardsthatresulted

8 Vuksanović,D.(2011)Filozofija medija (The Philosophy of Media),Vol.2,Beograd,Čigoja;Ćalović,D. (2011)“Upotrazizaestetikommedija” (“InSearchforanAestheticsofMedia”),Kultura No.133,pp.4255;Umetnost kao medij masovne komunikacije (Art as Medium of Mass Communication),ed.Milosavljevic,A.(2011)KulturaNo.131.

9 Itseemsthat“marketing”,selling,soliciting,isunavoidablecontextofmassmedia.

10SeeĆalović,op. cit.

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intheriseofnewcivilization–therisewearewitnessingandwhoselawsandpurposeswearestrivingtodefine.

Imayagree thatnewmediahelpusunderstandoldmedia,asproposedbysomephilosophersofmedia,11but I would like to add that old, traditional, media could certainly help us understand new media.Thus, it is not strange that, in the visual patternswith which operates the mass media industry, we recognizewellknown historical patterns,12 especially those that formedthe foundationof theapologyofpainting13 anddealtwith theissues,whichbelongtothedomainofcontemporaryaesthetics:theconceptofbeauty.

Scholarsmainlyturntotheissusespertainingtobeautyinartasrepresentationofanartificialrealitythatservedasacorrectiveof thenatural appearanceof things.Both“image”andbeautyin art owe their apologies, even today, to ancient philosophyas the foundation of the development of art theory and artpractice.Therefore,Ifeelthatthe“artificial”universescreatedby the mass media, although they might have not receivedtheirspecial theoreticalframeworkyet,arenothing more than the technological miracoli in which the created metarealityisdivestedofancientmoralizingdeposit.Theyserve,Iwouldsuggest, as illustrations of the basic assumptions about the“purifiedbeauty”thatappearedasidealintheRenaissanceandtheManneristarttheories.

The Foundation of the Contemporary Concept of Beauty in Ancient Art Theory

Wewillturntotheinterpretationofbeautyintheearlymodernarttheoryandthepossibilityofitsrealizationinart,aswellasto the illustration of the process of idealization of nature, i.e.surpassingitsdeficienciesasitappearsina“Dove”commercial,titled Dove Real Beauty: Evolution.14 In addition, it isextraordinarythatonemethod,describedinoldarttheory,whichcouldhavebeenonlyimagineduntiltoday,isfinally“aided”byatechnological“novelty”whichallowsittounfoldinfrontofoureyes.)

11Alić,op. cit.,pp.2528.12Milosavljević, A. (2010) “Ima li nam spasa bez Domestosa? Docere i

persuasio:Strašni Sudupotrošačkomdruštvu”(“IsThereaSalvationBeyondDomestos? Docere and Persuasio: The Last Judgement in the CosumerSociety”),Zbornik radova Fakulteta dramskih umetnosti 17,Beograd, pp.209217.

13Orvisualrepresentationingeneral.14Availableathttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

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It is known that the cosmetic company “Dove” has beenadvocating natural feminine beauty and has been warningagainstthefallaciouscampaignswhichareofferingthepotentialconsumers“abeautifiedreality”afteronlyseveralweeksofuseof special products for “beautifyingof theworld”, for almostadecade.TruthisthatinThe Dove Campaign for Real Beauty thenaturalbeautyisbeingpromoted,15butinordertodoso,arhetoricalturnisemployed:thenaturalbeautyispromotedbyanillustrationoftheprocessofcreationofanidealbeauty,suchasthebeautiesthatappearinthecommercialtricksoftheindustryof beauty. The video clip in question is, paradoxically ,titled“Evolution”:16thedevelopmentfromtheimperfectionofnaturalbeautyof an“ordinary”girl thatonecanmeet ineveryalley,to aperfect representation of a likenesswith rectified naturaldeficiencies.Thus,anordinarygirlbecomesacyberface ofametareality with an intervention of skilled masters who aremakingcosmetictricksaddedbysanctionofPhotoshop.

Thehistoryofmankindknowsneither thedictationofbeautyimposedonusbythe industryofbeauty,norsuchindustryofbeautythatweknowtoday.Nevertheless,theconceptofbeautyin art and artistic theory from antiquity to baroque17 was notfarawayfromthe“productivity”,“industry”,fromitspractical

15Seehttp://www.dove.us/SocialMission/campaignforrealbeauty.aspxThismarketingcampaignissubjecttocriticism,aswell.

16Thevideowascreated in2006; it isavailableathttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

17EventotheNeoclassicism,atleastintheformalsense(PrettejohnE.(2005)Beauty & Art 17502000,Oxford,OxfordUniversityPress).

Fig.1.Thenaturalfacialfeatures(left)ofthemodelwhoappearedinthecommercialforDoveNaturalBeautyCampaignandher

appearanceaftertheprocessingofthedigitalimagethatappearedonabilboard(http://www.parentingchatcafe.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/11/ParentingChatCafeDoveBeautyGirls.jpg

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functionandpurpose–atleastnotinthedomainofthevisualarts – because that “industry” helped the creation of a nicerrealityingeneral.

Weowe theconceptof idealbeauty toanancientphilosophy,although, in it, itwasfirmly tied tomoralprinciples (suchasbeauty of the soul and what it creates in the sense of socialrelations and the role and functions of individual in society).The corporeal beauty was understood as a reflection of ahigher perfection, it was sought for in nature, and originatedfromit, in theprocessofselectionfromthemostbeautifulofvariousnaturalmodels.Itwasreducedtoamean,toacommondenominator, subject to mathematical laws. Nature was themodel, the guide, but a skilledmaster (artist) could – rather,hewasobligedto–surpass itandimproveitbythecanonofproportions, for example. This necessity to improve and tosurpassnature,aswellastheassumptionthatahumanbeingcaninterveneinthemattersofnaturalorderofthings,wasclearlyexpressedinartistictheory,whichdealtwiththepossibilitiesofitsrealizationinart.

When speaking about the idea of beauty, wemeet two basicconcepts:beautiful(bellum),18andimitationofnature(mimesis).Let us just remind that ancient philosophy offered a conceptofautonomyofart in relation toeverchangingand imperfectreality,tonature:inboththeplatonicviewthataworkofartisinferiortonaturebecauseitonlyimitatesit,andtheAristoteliannotion that art is superior to naturebecause it improvesuponthe deficiencies of nature’s individual products, art confrontsnaturewithanewlycreatedimageofbeauty.19However,faithfulimitationofnaturalmodelwasnotadesiredqualityinartuntiltheendof19thcentury,andphilosophers,poetsandtheoristswerereadytopraiseahumanfigure,createdbyartist,andrefinedinsuchwaytosurpassthe“truth”.ItwasnotonlythatPolycleituswas the much praised sculptor who designed the canon ofproportions, but even more praised was the painter Zeuxis,whowhencommissionedtopaintthemostbeautifulwomanofall,Helen,forLucina’stempleinCrotona,askedforfivemostbeautifulmaidens inorder tocopy themostbeautifulpartsoftheirbodies.Thus,Zeuxis,knownastheimitatorofthenatural

18Short summary of the aspects of beauty implied by the Latinpulchrum ibellum isoffered inTatarkjevič,V. (1980) Istorija šest pojmova,Beograd,Nolit,pp.115116.

19See,e.g.,Panofsky,E.(1960),Idea: Ein Beitrag zur Begriffsgeschichte der alteren kunsttheorie,Berlin,VerlagBrunoHessling;Lee,R.W. (1967)Ut Pictura Poesis. The Humanistic Theory of Painting, NewYorkmW.W.Norton&Company,Inc.;Zurovac,op. cit.

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models,20reconciledinhisworkthetwooppositetendenciesbysurpassing the natural deficiencies in the process of selectionof the most beautiful from what the imperfect nature offers.Moreover, themethodusedbyZeuxiswasconstantlyreferredtoinancientartistictheoryatleastasmuchasthePolycleitus’inventionofthecanonofproportions.Despitethedevotiontoimitation,ancientGreekthoughtwasquiteawareofthenotionthat artist’s relation to nature is not only the relation ofmereimitator,butalsotherelationofanindependentrivalwho,withhiscreativity, freelycorrects itsnecessarydefects. In time, letusremind,thereappearedthebeliefthatthebestartcansurvivewithoutmodelsperceivedbythesenses,andthat,duetoartist’simagination it can completely emancipate itself from reality(accordingtostoics).TheNeoPlatonistswentevenfurther,asweknow, claiming for artist’svisions a special characteristic:thesevisionscanconfronttherealityasaltogetherautonomousideas,which surpass nature in their beauty, because they areidenticalwiththeveryprinciplesfromwhichnatureoriginates,andwhicharerevealedintheactofintellectualcontemplation.21

Theconceptofcloseimitationemergedagaininthe14thcenturyinBoccaccio’spraiseofGiotto’s realism,22 and it stayedwith

20Pliny(1960),“TheFiveandThirtiethBookDiscoursethofPainting,Colour,and Painters”, The History of the World, Commonly Called The Natural History of C. Plinius Secundus, or Pliny,ed.Turner,P.,NewYorkTorontoLondon.

21Panofsky,op.cit.;Plotin(1984),Eneade,Beograd,Književnenovinepp.5980.

22BoccaccioG.(1997)Dekameron,VI.5,pp.8687.TheinspirationcamealsofromPliny’swritingsaboutpainterswhocreatedsuchconvincingillustionsoflifethattheydeceivedbothmenandanimals.Pliny,op.cit.

Fig.2.FrancoisAndreVincent,Zeuxis Choosing Models from the Beautiful Women of Croton,1789(http://www.

wikigallery.org)

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theadvocatesofrealismandwiththeartistswhostrovetocatchtheperfectillusionofthevisiblerealityduringthe15thcentury.Thedebateaboutthisproblemwasaveryimportantaspectofartistictheory,anditstartedatthebeginningofthe15thcenturyin Italy, with the emergence, in 1435, of the first humanistictreatiseonpaintingbyLeoneBattistaAlberti.23Speakingaboutcomposition,Albertipaidmuchattentiontoitsharmony,whichrenders“graceinbodieswhichwecallbeauty”;disproportion,immediately warns us Alberti, creates “ugly appearance”.24Thus,intheprocessofcompositionofplanes,oneshouldaskforgraceandbeauty,andthemost“certainandfittingwayforonewhowishestopursuethis”is“totakethemfromnature,keepinginmindinwhatwaynature,marvelousartificerof things,hascomposed the planes in beautiful bodies”.25 Speaking further,Albertiturnstotherepresentationofhumanfigure,whosebodypartsshouldbeinharmony(“tuttiimembribeneconvengano”);andtheywillbeiftheyareoftheappropriatesize,function,kindand color, and if they conform to the canon of proportions.26Writing about representations endowed with qualities, whichsurpassmeremimesis andwhich are to communicate certaindeeper truths, Alberti introduces the notions of majesty anddignity, achievedwhen all “ugly” parts of a body,which aredispleasing, are concealed.He reminded that ancient paintersrepresentedonlyone sideofAntigon’s portrait – theone thatdidnotshowthathelackedaneye,andthatPlutarchsaidthatancientpainters,whenpaintingtheirkings,didnotwanttoseemthat they had not noticed their deficiencies, but they tried tocorrectthemwhenevertheycould,holdingontosimilitude.27

23IamquotingItalianversionof the textof1436,availableat Internetpagehttp://www.bibliotecaitaliana.it:6336/dynaweb/bibit/autori/a/alberti/de_pictura_volgare, because of its accessibility:Alberti L.B.,De Pictura (redazione volgare), Opere volgari, ed.Grayson, C., Bari, Laterza, 19601973.

24“Nasce della composizione delle superficie quella grazia ne’ corpi qualedicono bellezza.Vedesi uno viso, il quale abbia sue superficie chi grandiechipiccole(...)similealvisodellevecchierelle,questoessere inaspettobruttissimo”.Alberti,“LibroII”.

25“... maravigliosa artefice delle cose, bene abbia in be’ corpi composte lesuperficie”.Alberti,op. cit.

26“Epoichelanaturacihaportoinmezzolemisure,ovesitruovanonpocautilità a riconoscerle dalla natura, ivi adunque piglino gli studiosi pittoriquestafatica,pertantotenereamentequellochepiglinodallanatura,quantoariconoscerlearannopostosuostudioeopera.Unacosaramento,cheabenemisurareunoanimantesipigliunoqualechesuomembrocolqualeglialtrisimisurino...Ameparecosapiùdegnal’altremembrasiriferiscanoalcapo.”Alberti,op. cit.

27“Lepartibrutteavederedelcorpo,el’altresimiliqualiporgonopocagrazia,sicuopranocolpanno,conqualchefrondeoconlamano.Dipignevanogliantiqui l’immagine d’Antigono solo da quella parte del viso ove non era

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Inorder tobe able todo that, apainter should followcertainrulesandexplorenatureanditsactions,butheisnotsupposedtosimplyimitatereality–heshouldrespectbeauty,inthefirstplace.AncientpainterDemetrius,Albertiremindsus,failedtoobtaintheultimatepraisebecausehewasmuchmorecarefultomakethingssimilartothenaturalthantothebeautiful.Thisiswhy, therefore,oneshouldchoose thosepartsof thebeautifulbodies that deserve most praise. However, this is the mostdifficultthingtodo,becausebeauty does not reside in a single body, but is rare and dispersed in many bodies,sopaintermustdiscover and study it.28 It is important to stress, nevertheless,thatAlbertiadvisespainterstoavoidthecustomofsomewhofollowcertainmodelsandconceptsintheirminds.HecitesthefamousexampleofZeuxiswhodidnot relyonhisownmindin order to achieve beauty because he thought that hewouldnotbeabletofindeverythingheneededfortherepresentationofbeauty,and thathewouldnotbeable tofind it ina singlebody.29Thus,beautyforAlbertidependsonexperience(itcomes

mancamentodell’occhio(...)EdicePlutarcogliantiquipittori,dipignendoire,seinloroeraqualchevizio,nonvolerloperòesserenonnotato,maquantopotevano,servandolasimilitudine,loemendavano.”Alberti, op. cit.

28“Qualcosabenechesiadifficile,perchénonneinunocorposolositruovacompiutebellezze,ma sonodisperse e rare inpiù corpi, pure si debba adinvestigarlaeimpararlaporviognifatica.”Alberti,op. cit.

29“Fugge gl’ingegni non periti quella idea delle bellezze, quale i beneessercitatissimi appena discernono. Zeusis, prestantissimo e fra gli altriessercitatissimopittore,per fareuna tavolaqualpubblicoposenel tempiodiLucina appresso de’Crotoniati, nonfidandosi pazzamente, quanto oggi

Fig.3.PierodellaFrancesca,Duke Federico da Montefeltro,146570,GalleriadegliUffizi,Florence

(http://www.wikigallery.org)

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a posteriori),andideaofbeauty(idea delle bellezze)abidesinmind thatknowsnatureanduniversal lawsandformswell. ItwasstillearlyforRenaissancethinkerstoemancipatefromcloseobservationofreality,althoughtheexampleofZeuxismayhaveimpliedit.Thiswillbethelegacyofnextgenerationoftheoristsandartiststhatwillintroducethenotionofideaofbeauty(idea delle bellezze, bella idea)whichexistsa priori inartist’smindandwhichheimitates.

Inthe16thcenturythedoctrineofimitationofideadidnotsqueezeouttheoldernotionthatartiscloseimitationofnature,butitsoondismissedtherenaissancenormativeaesthetics,anditreliedontheconceptofdesign(“disegno”),thevisiblemanifestationofartist’s“concetto”,whichappearsinhisintellect.30Inpractice,theartistwasadvisedtorelyonfirmfoundationsofthesensoryperception–nownotonlyontheperceptionofrealnature,butalsoontheperceptionof the“purifiednature”(i.e., theworksofart).

Inaddition,hewastolearnmathematicalrulesandproportion.However,thesewerenotunderstoodintermsof“tools”butintermsoffoundationforpracticalskillsandhisownreasoning.Thus, the study of nature was still unconditional because it

ciascunopittore,delsuoingegno,maperchépensavanonpotereinunosolocorpotrovarequantebellezzeegliricercava,perchédallanaturanoneranoadunosolodate,pertantodi tutta lagioventùdiquellaterraelessecinquefanciulle lepiùbelle,per torredaquestequalunquebellezza lodata inunafemmina.”Alberti,op. cit.

30WorkedoutbyVasariin“Introduction”toLivesof1568:Vasari,G.(1991)Le Vite dei più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architetti,Roma,NewtonComptonEditoris.r.l.,pp.7378.Bytheway,wecannoteanincosistencyintheuseoftermsintelettoandanimointhearttheoryofthe15thandthe16thcenturies.

Fig.4.JacopoPontormo,Martyrdom of San Maurizio and the Theban Legions,c.1530,GalleriadegliUffizi,

Florence(http://www.wikigallery.org)

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offered“scientific”method,orthewaytoachieveartist’sidea,butitsreproductionwasnowlabeled“rittrare”,asexplainedinthetreatiseonperfectproportionsbysculptorVincenzoDanti.Atthesametime,whatwecouldconsiderasequivalenttoimitation(i.e.,tomimesis)–“imitare”(Lat.)nowassumedthemeaningof thereproduction of reality as it was supposed to be seen.31Anartist should follow the rulesofferedby thenature,but toactascreatorandtoworkaccordinghisowninvention,i.e.his“inner design” (disegno interno), as FedericoZuccari definedit in his famous Idea.32 That design is the concept, the idea,whichisborninartist’sintellect,accordingtowhichhecanactandwhichhecan“realize”inhismedium.33Zuccariwenteverfurther and, in an extraordinary passage, explained the originandthereasonforthisinnerdesign,whichistherealevidenceofman’sdivinenature,becauseitallowsonetoproduceanewworldandcompetewithNature:“God...wishedto(...)endow[man,A.M.] with the ability to form an inner Design, in hismind,sothathecanknowallthecreaturesandthathecancreatewithin himself a newworld (...) moreover, with this Design,almostimitatingGodandlivingwiththeNature,hecanproduceinfinitenumberofartificial things that resemble the natural,and aided by painting and sculpture make new Heavens that can be seen on Earth [italicA.M.].”34However,asopposedtoGod’s,man’sDesignoriginatesfromthesenses,thatis,fromtheworld

31“IlRitrarresarebbeilperfettomezzoadesseguirel’artedeldisegno:senonfusse, che queste cose, le quali la natura, e l’arte produce, sono come hodetto,lepiùvolteimperfetteediqualita,ediquantità,percagionedimoltiaccidenti.Tutteleformedellanaturaintenzionaliinsestessesonobellissime,e propozionatissime, ma non tutte le volte la materia e atta à riceverleperfettamente,esopraquestomancamento,chelamateriailpiudellevoltenonricevalaformasidistendeilmododell’operareconlaimitazione,comeaccenainelprincipio(...)Ecosìquell’artefice,checolmezzodiquesteduestrade[infact,“ritrarre”and”imitare”,A.M.]camminerànell’artenostra,cioènellecose,chehannoinseimperfezioneecheharebbonoàessereperfette,colimitare,enelleperfettecolritrarre,sarànellaveraebuonaviadeldisegno.”DantiV.(1567),Il primo libro del Trattato delle perfette proporzioni,Cap.XVI,Firenze,pp.5762.

32His treatise was published in Rome in 1607; Zuccari returned to thescholasticismandinterpretedhumancreationinstrictlyNeoplatonicterms.Here,wearequotingfromZuccari,F.(1768)L’ Idea de’ pittori, scultori ed architetti,Roma,NellaStamperiadiMarcoPagliarini.

33“... il Disegno interno in generale è un’ idea e forma nell’ intellettorappresentante espressamente e distintamente la cosa intesa...” Zuccari,op.cit.,I,Cap.III,8.

34“...Dio,volleancodarlifacoltàdiformareinsemedesimounDisegnointernointellettivo, acciocchè col mezzo di questo conoscesse tutte le creature eformasseinsestessounnuovoMondo(...)edinoltreacciocchèconquestoDisegno,quasiimitandoDioedemulandolaNatura,potesseprodurreinfinitecoseartificialisimiliallenaturali,ecolmezzodellapitturaedellasculturafarcivedereinTerranuoviParadisi.”Zuccari,op. cit.,I,Cap.VII,18:

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perceived through the senses, from thenature imitatedbyart.Thereasonforitisthat“...theinner,artificial,DesignandartcontinuetomakeartificialthingsinthesamewayNaturedoes(...)Natureisleadtoitsownaimandtoitsownactionsbyanintellectualprinciple(...)itachievesitsaimwithorderedmeans.And, since art sees the same [method, A.M.] in its actions,mostlyaidedbythesaidDesign,Naturecanimitateart,andartcan imitateNature.”35We should note that “beautiful”,which(roughly) appears as an alternative to “idea”, during the 16thcentury,becauseof thestronginfluencebytheNeoPlatonismonartistictheory,againassumedthatNeoplatonicmetaphysicalmeaningof thevisiblemanifestationofgood,andrepresentedareflectionorrayoflightshiningfromGod’sface,whichwecannotexplaininfurtherdetail,here.Theideaofbeauty,which,traditionally, consists of the harmony,which creates grace, inreality,becamesubjecttoindividualjudgmentofanartistwhopossessesperfectideasofphenomenainhismind.

Thecomplexityofthemanneristdiscourseaboutthenatureofartisticcreationandthenatureofbeautywasprovenbyanotherphilosophicaltradition,36clearlydefinedindialogueonpaintingtitledAretino byVenetian humanist LodovicoDolce).37Afterdefiningartasimitationofnature,addingthatthebestmasteristheonewhoseworksareclosertoit,38Dolceredefinestheaimofartnotingthatpaintermustworkalotinordernotonlytoimitatenature,butalsotosurpassit.39Dolcediscussestwowaysinwhich

35“(...)ilDisegnointernoartificialeel’arteistessasimuovonoadoperarenellaproduzionedellecoseartificialialmodo,cheopera laNatura istessa.Esevogliamoanco sapereperchè laNatura sia imitabile, èperchè laNaturaèordinatadaunprincipiointellettivoalsuopropriofineedallesueoperazioni;ondel’operasuaeoperadell’intelligenzanonerrante,comediconoifilozofi;poichèpermezziordinarîecerticonseguisceilsuofine;eperchèquestostessoosserval’artenell’operare,conl’ajutoprincipalmentedidettoDisegno,peroequellapuòesseredaquestaimitata,equestapuòimitarquella.”Zuccari,op. cit.,I,Cap.X,28:

36Lee,op. cit.,pp.911,thinksthatthistrendemergedwiththeappearanceofDolce’streatise,althoughthisstatementissubjecttodeeperanalysis.

37Dolce L. (1557),Dialogo della Pittura intitolato l’Aretino, Venezia. Forreprint,translationandcommentaries,seeRoskill,M.(2000)Dolce’s Aretino and Venetian Art Theory of the Cinquecento, Toronto, The RenaissanceSocietyofAmerica.

38“... laPitturanonesserealtroche imitationedellaNatura:ecolui,chepiùnellesueoperelesiavicina,èpiùperfettoMaestro.”Roskill,op. cit.,p.96.

39“Deve adunque il Pittore procacciar non solo d’imitar, ma di superar lanatura.DicosuperarlaNaturainunaparte:chenelrestoèmiraculoso,nonpur,sesiarriva,maquandovisiavicina.Questoè indimostrarcolmezzodell’arte in un corpo solo tutta quella perfettion di belezza, che la naturanonsuoldimostrareapenainmille.Perchènonsitrovauncorpohumanocosìperfettamentebello,chenonglimanchialcunaparte.OndehabbiamoesempiodiZeusi...(thenfollowsthestoryofZeuxis)”.Roskill,op. cit.,p.130.

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paintercanrepresentlifenotasitis,butasitshouldbe.Hecangodirectlytonature,andchoosethemostbeautifulpartsfromanumberofindividualphenomena,inordertocreateacompositefiguremoreperfectthantheexistingone(themethodofZeuxis).Painter can also derive perfect model from nature, such asApellesandPraxiteleswhomadetheirfamousrepresentationsofAphroditeaccording toPrine, themostbeautifulcourtesan.However,amodernartist,Dolceclaims,cannotfindastandardof perfection in onewoman, because nature is neverwithoutdeficiencies,evenunderthebestconditions.Shouldanartistliketorepresentthenatureasmorebeautifulthanitisbyimprovingitsdeficiencies,hemustfollowthestudyofantiquity.Because,antiquityisthatidealnaturetowhichpainterstrivesand“ancientstatuesembodycompleteartisticperfection,andmayserveasexemplarsforthewholeofbeauty”.40

40 “Devesi adunque elegger la formapiùperfetta, imitandoparte laNatura.Il che faceva Apelle, il quale ritrase la sua tanto celebrata Venere, cheuscivadaimare...daFrinefamosissimacortigianadellasuaetà;etancoraPrasitelecavòlabellastatuadellaVenereGnidiadellamedesimagiovane.Epartesidebbonoimitarlebellefiguredimarmo,odibronzode’Mestieriantichi. Lamirabil perfettion delle quali chi gusterà e possederà a pieno,potràsicuramentecorreggermoltidifettidiessaNatura,efarlesuePittureriguardevoliegrateaciascuno:perciochèlecoseantichecontengonotuttalaperfettiondell’arte,epossonoessereesemplaridituttoilbello.”Roskill,op. cit.,pp.138139.

Fig.5.MichelangeloBuonarotti,Slave,c.1513,MuséeduLouvre,Paris(http://www.wga.hu/framese.html?/html/m/

michelan/1sculptu/giulio_2/slave52.html)

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It isworthnoting thatwhenDolceadvisespainters to imitatebeautifulstatuesofancientmasters(“lebellefiguredimarmoodibronzode’Mestieriantichi”),hedoesnothaveinmindsuchimitationperse;itshouldbeameanstoanaim.So,if–asweassume–painterdoesnotonlymerelycopyancientstatues,butusesthemwithdiscretionascriterionforidealachievement,hecouldjustaswellachievetheperfectbeautyasifhefollowedthefirstand lessuncertainmethodof“improvinguponnaturewith themeans taken fromnature herself”without dangerousturningtotheperfectstandardsofancientart.Dolcedoesnotsaythatonemethodisbetterthananother,andhewouldprobablyagreethatagoodartistcansuccessfullycombinetheselectiveimitationofnaturewithskillfuladaptationsfromantiquity.

Theconceptoftheperfectionofnaturedevelopedtothepointthatfamoustheoristofartfromthe17thcentury,GiovanniPietroBellori,statedthattheTrojanWarwas,infact,notfoughtoverawoman,Helen, themostbeautifulwoman in theworld, butoverofastatue.41Thisisbecause,accordingtoBellori,naturecannotcreatesuchperfectbeauty;incanexistonlyasacreationof man, in which all imperfections of nature are correctedandsurpassed.42Althoughaworkofart, according toBellori,is based on the very essence of nature and natural forms, itsurpassesnature’sindividualandspecificcreationsbyperfectingitsforms.Study–selection–idealizationarethreebasicstepsin the creation of perfectmodels, of perfect natural order, ofperfectbeauty,anditwasrecognizedastheprocessofworkingofancientmasters.Thisiswheretheveryartificialityofbeauty

41“Manon fù così bella costei, qual da loro si finse, poiche si trouarono inessadifettieriprensioni;anzisitienech’ellamainauigasseaTroia,macheinsuoluogovifosseportatalasuastatua,perlacuibellezzasiguerreggiòdiecianni.”Bellori,G.P. (1672),“L’IdeadelPittore,delloScultore,edelArchitetto. Scelta delle bellezze naturali superiore allNatura”,Le Vite de pittori, scultori et architetti moderni, Parte prima,RomaMDCLXXII,pp.67.

42Iwouldliketostressthatthediscoursesonbeautyinartandnaturearenotasassimpleastheymayseem.Ancientnotionthatbeautyproducesbeautyandbeautifullactionshadnotbeenforgotten.InhistreatiseonbeautyTorquatoTassoexpressedtheviewthatHelencouldnothavebeenbeautifulbecauseherphisicalbeautywas thecauseof the tenyearlongwar: “...Elenanonsarebbestatabella,perchéellamossel’Asiael’Europaaguerreggiareefulafiammae la ruinade l’antichissimoregno troiano(...) l’incontinenzadegliuominiel’impudiciziadeledonnepuòdareoccasionealerapineealeguerre;laondeforse,s’Elenafuimpudica,nonfubella,perchélabellezzaè sempre congiunta con l’onestà, e con la voce greca tò kalón altrettantoilbelloquantol’onestoèsignificato...”Tasso,T.(1616)“IlMinturnooverodellabellezza”,Opere non piu stampate del Signor Torquato Tasso,raccolteepublicatedaMarc’AntonioFoppa,RomaMDCLXVI,p.274.So,evenwhenperfectbeautycanbe found in reality, shemustnot lack the innerqualityunderstoodbydidacticandmoralizingtradition.

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abides,asitwasconceivedofinthehistoryofartandartistictheory.

Nature, speaking in the Neoplatonic terms, cannot preserveperfect forms because they are subject to declinebecause ofthe inconsistency ofmatter – especially human beauty.Thus,whatnaturecannotachieve,artcan–itworksmoreaccurately,asBellori suggested.He summedup and took to full fruitionwhat until the late 16th centurywas ordinaryway of thinkingabout art in Italy, as the cradle of art theory. Moreover, inhis announcement that the outer nature need to be the sourceof those ideal concepts that are object of artistic imitation,redirected the theory of painting, after its platonic manneristtrain,toAristoteliantraditionwhichsurviveduntilmodernera,as artistic imitationof Ideaorof themental imageofbeauty,whichartistpossessesinmind,andwhichoriginates,asinthecase of Zeuxis, from merging of the most beautiful parts ofvariousindividuals.

So,BelloriredefinedtheIdeathatistobeimitatedbyanartist,notinthetermsthatwouldberecommendedbyaPlatonist,butas an image of the selected and beautified nature formed bypainterinhisimagination,43accordingtotheempiricalmethodofZeuxis.Thispainter,beingwithoutusefulaprioripresenceoftheplatonicideainhismind’seye,beforehepaintedHelen’sidealbeauty,madeacompositementalimageofthebasicperfectionsofhisfivebeautifulmodels.Truthisthat,attheverybeginningofhisdiscourse,Belloridescribed,usingplatonictermsthatbringintomemorythewritingsofhismanneristpredecessors,Ideaas“esempio della bellezza superiore”inartist’smind,comparing

43“Quelsommoedeternointellettoautoredellanaturanelfabbricarel’operesuemaravigliose,altamenteinsestessoriguardano,costituìleprimeformechiamateIdee,inmodocheciascunaspecieespressafùdaquallaprimaIdea,fomandoseneilmirabilecontestodellecosecreate...linobiliPittorieScultori,quelprimofabbroimitando,siformanoanch’essinellamenteunesempiodibellezzasuperiore,einessoriguardandoemendanolanaturasenzacolpadicoloreedilineamento.QuestaIdea,overoDeadellaPitturaedellaScolturaapertelesacrecortinedegl’altiingegnideiDedaliedegliApelli,sisvelaanoiediscendesopraimarmiesopraletele;originatadallanaturasuperal’origine e fassi originale dell’arte, misurata dal compasso dell’intellettodivienemisuradellamano,eanimatadall’immaginativadàvitaall’imagine.Sono certamente per sentenza de’maggiori filosofi le cause esemplari neglianimidegliArtefici, lequalirisiedonosenzaincertezzaperpetuamentebellissimeeperfettissime.IdeadelPittoreedelloScultoreèquelperfetto,ed eccellente esempio della mente, alla cui immaginata forma imitandosi rassomigliano le cose, che cadono sotto la vista (...) l’Idea costituisceil perfettodella bellezzanaturale, e unisce il vero al verisimiledelle cosesottoposteall’occhio,sempreaspirandoall’ottimoedalmaraviglioso,ondenonsoloemula,masuperiorefassiallnatura,palesandocil’operesueelegantiecompite,qualiessanonèsolitadimostrarciperfetteinogniparte...”Bellori,op. cit.,pp.35.

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itwithidealpatternthatexists inGod’sintellectas thedivineexampleofthecreatedworld.Thus,“cause esemplari”,oridealtypes, according to which artworks are formed, also exist inartists’ minds, in the perfection of the eternal beauty. Belloriannounced that theoriginof idea is innature (originata della natura)andhedefineditastheperfectionofnaturalbeauty(il perfetto della bellezza naturale).Hedoesnotleaveadoubtthathewasnot thinkingaboutIdeaasanarchetypeofbeauty thatexistsaprioriinmetaphysicalindependence,butaposterioriintheprocessofselectionfromartist’srealexperienceofnature.44Furthermore, idea manifests its superiority in relation to thefactualnatural truththroughtheselectedartistic truth;artistictruth,inturn,originatesfromthenaturaltruth(originata della natura supera l’origine, e fassi originale dell’Arte).Theconceptof“selectedartistictruth”bringsintomindDolce’sadmirationforantiquity,whichaffectedBelloriaswell.However,Bellorisawancientstatues,unlikeDolce,asobjectsofimitationintheircapacitytoserveasfamousexamplesproducedbyartistswhodeserveadmirationbysubsequentgenerationsexactlybecausetheyimitatedtheIdeaofbeautyselectingthebestfromnature.Theexampleofantiquity,thus,teachesmodernartistthathecanbeassuccessfulasancientartists ifhecontemplatesbeautifulIdeaofwhatheistorepresent.45

Angelo Firenzuola, On the Beauty of Women. No Perfect Beauty, but Desirable Features

Theaboveconsiderations,however,quotedonlyinsumandasmallportionof thecorpusofoldartistic theory,werenot faraway frommorepractical concerns.Although itwasdifficult,until today, to surpass in reality the natural deficiencies, theywere objects of thought in everyday life.Aristocratic culturethatemergedatthebeginningof16thcenturyinspiredawholeseries of complex treatises written in the form of dialogues,whichaimedatclassificationandcodificationofeverydaylifeof the elite, demonstrated the knowledge of interlocutors anddevelopedfromcasualchattingonvarioussubjects.

44“Tutte le cose ... dall’arte ... hanno principio dalla Natura istessa, da cuiderivalaveraIdea.”Bellori,op. cit.,pp.10.

45“Ci resterebbe il dire che gli antichi Scultori havendo usato l’Ideameravigliosa, come habbiamo accennato, sia però neccessario lo studiodell’antichesculturelepiùperfette,percheciguidinoallebellezzeemendatedellanatura; ... liPittori egliScultori, scegliendo lepiù eleganti bellezzenaturali, perfettionano l’Idea, l’opere loro vengono ad avanzarsi e restarsuperiori alla natura, che è l’ultimo pregio di queste arti, come habbiamoprovato.Quindinascel’ossequioelostuporedeglihuominiversolestatueeleimmagini,quindiilpremioeglihonoredegliArtefici:questafùlagloriadiTimante,diApelle,diFidia,diLisippo.”Bellori,op. cit.,p.11.

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ThatwasalsothecaseofOn the Beauty of WomenbyAngeloFirenzuola,46 initiatedby a conversation inwhichparticipatedfour ladies; they were joined by several men, one of which,Celso, took the role of spokesman. In the first book of thetreatise,Firenzuola(i.e.,Celso)repeatsthealreadyknownviewsabout beauty, which cannot be found in only one body, andstressesthatthebeautyofawomanisthehighestgiftbestowedonmankindbyGod,andthatitmustbeconsideredprecious.47Beautifulwomanisonewhopleasesallpeople,notonlysome.However,inordertopossesstheperfectbeauty,awomanneedsmanythings–thereisrarelyonewomanwhopossesseshalfofthenecessaryqualities.48Inwhichpartofthebodyisbeautybestshown?Theansweris:in“theface”thatmaybeseenbyall.49Andbeautyistheharmonyofpartsthatdifferamongthemselvesandareproportionate.Firenzuolapaiddueattentiontothisissueexplainingandsuggestingthemeasuresofproportion–onthebasisofhisownimpression,asheadmits.50Heconcluded:“...andsincenaturerarelyconforms[tomeasures,A.M.]weshallleavethemtothepainterswho,withastrokeortwoofthebrushmaylengthenorshortenthemasseemsgoodtothem.”51Aftera long discourse about individual parts of the body and theirfunctions, Firenzuola, wrote about perfect beauty of woman,composing her face of beautiful individual parts, like Zeuxiswhoformsanimageinhismind.Firenzuolastartedwithcausesofimperfectionsofnaturalmodels,theconceptwithoutwhich(aswedisplayedabove)onecannotdealwiththeproblemsofartisticcreationandbeauty,andhenotedthatNatureisgenerousto themankind.Nevertheless, everydayexperience teachesus

46FirenzuolaA.(1548),Delle Bellezze delle Donne intitolato il Celso,Firenze(availablenonpaginatedathttp://digilander.libero.it/bepi/bellezze/bellezze.htm);thisworkwasdedicatedtoCosimoIde’Mediciin1541.

47“...labellezaeledonnebelle,eledonnebelleelabellezameritanod’essercomendateetenutecarissimedaognuno;perciòcheladonnabellaèilpiùbelloobiettochesirimiri,elabellezaèilmaggiordonochefacesseIddioall’umanacreatura...”,Firenzuola,op. cit.

48“... quando e’ si parla d’una bella, e’ si parla d’una che piaccia a ognunouniversalmenteenonparticolarmenteaquestoeaquello(...)èbenveroche,avoleresserebellaperfettamente,e’cibisognanomoltecose,inmodocheradesenetrovanochen’abbianopurlametà...”Firenzuola,op. cit.

49“...inluogoeminente,acciochémegliosipotesseroriguardaredaognuno(...)lafaccia(...)è(...)lapropriasiededellabelleza”.Firenzuola,op. cit.

50However,Firenzuolaadds,thepossesssionofa“measuredbeauty”isnotanabsoluteneccessity,sinceitisenoughttohave“others”thinkthatsomeoneisbeautifulbecausethatonehasthat“something”whichlendshergraceandattaction.

51“Soncimoltealtremisure, lequali,perciòchepoco importanoe lanaturaancora l’usa rade volte, noi le lasceremo a’ dipintori, i quali con unapennellatapiùeunamenolepossonoallungareeaccortarecometornalorbene.”Firenzuola,op. cit.

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that Nature, when it comes to individual cases, is avariciousandmiserlybecauseShedoesnotgiveeverythingtoeveryone,butShegives some things to someoneand someother thingsto someone else. This is why ancients, Firenzuola reminds,represented her as a female figure with many breasts, fromwhichmencantakeonlyamouthfulatatime.

Thismeansthat,althoughweneedmanythings,wehavetotoiltoacquire or beautify or preserve them with art, industry and wit.Andsincethechanneloutofwhichthemilk(thenutrient)flows is narrow and hardly a drop ofmilk can come forth atonce,wecanconcludethatNaturedoesnotbestowherfavorseasily and lightly, but “grudgingly one on each and one at atime”.Thisiswhyeverybodyhasaflaw:theonewhohasfinestaturedoesnothaveapleasing face;oronehas lovelyeyes,but bad complexion, and similar.52 Since this is the case, in

52“... lanaturaè stata sempre largae liberaledonatricedelle suegrazieallouniversale e comun gregge degli uomini; non di meno in particolare e’nonparegiàchesiaintervenutoilmedesimo,anzipossiamoaffermareperisperienzacotidianacheellasiastatamoltoavaraemoltoscarsa(...)ellahabendatoognicosasì,manonaognuno,anziafaticaunaperuno.Laqualcosavolendogliantichipoetidimostrare,lafinserounadonnapienadimammelle,dellequalinonnepotendolouompigliarepiùch’uncapezolpervolta,nonpuòtirareasésenonunapicciolapartedelsuonutrimento.Einoltre,sevoiconsidereretebenelanaturadellapoppa,voitrovereteche,ancorch’ellasiadiquellaubertàeabondanzachesaognuno,nonperònegettaillatteinboccadapersé,mabisognasuggerlo;chenonsignificaaltrosenoncheindimolte

Fig.6.BenvenutoCellini,Nature,sketchforthesealofAccademiadelDisegno,detail,Firenze,1560,BritishMuseum,

London(www.wga.hu/html/c/cellini/7/06graphi.html)

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ordertoimagineaperfectlybeautifulwoman,oratleastmostlybeautiful, we need to take the most beautiful parts of manywomen(likeZeuxis)– in thiscaseof thefour ladiesengagedintheconversation:53“...eachofyougivesmeherpartfortheportraitofmychimeraofbeauty.”54

It is significant that Firenzuola added what he consideredappropriatecolorsofthefacetothecorrect facial featuresthatcanbegeometricallyconstructedandmathematicallymeasured,aboutwhichhewroteinhisfirstbook.Inordertomakeabeautyperfect,thus,hertanhastobefairyellowwithcertainlustre.55Herhairshouldbeofgoodqualityandfair,likegoldorhoney,orsun,waving,abundantandlong.Foreheadmustbefairandwide, and serene – without wrinkles and powder, calm. Theline of the browmust not be flat, but curved like arch. Suchforeheadandbrowsaddtothelustreofeyesthatshouldbeliketwostarsshininginthesky.Theglobesmustbeclearlyseenandwhitewith hue of flax, and although some praise black eyes,others blue, Firenzuola states that, according to the generalconsent, brown eye are the best because they give gentlenessandkindness,aswellasalluringcharm.Earsaresupposed tobe of nice shape, light ruby, but should not be soft and thin.Templesshouldbewhiteandflat,nothollow,astheyareasignof“weaknessof thebrain”.Cheeksshouldbe fairandshouldbeginaswhiteassnow,butwheretheirroundnessswells,theircolorshouldincreaseinrosiness.Noseisthemostimportantofallotherparts,Firenzuolastated,becausetheonewhodoesnothaveabeautifulnosedoesnothavebeautifulprofile.

cosebisognachenoioper acquistarleoper abbelirleopermantenerleciaffatichiamoconarte,industriaeingegno.Eperciochéilcanaledondeesceillatteèstrettoeafaticanevieneunagocciolapervoltapossiamoconsiderarechevolserdirechelanaturanondàlegraziene’particolaridoppiamente,maafaticaunaperuno,aunapervolta.”Firenzuola,op. cit.

53To be sure, beside possessing certain beautiful features they illustrate the“scarcity”ofthenature.

54“... percioché così come la chimera si imagina e non si trova, cosi quellabellachenoi intendiamofingere,si imagineràenonsi troverà;epiùtostovedremoquellochesivorrebbeavereperesserbella,chequellosiabbia,nondispregiandoperquestolabellezadivoichesetequipresentiodellealtrechenoncisono;lequali,sebenenonhannoraccoltoinlorolointero,nondimenonehannotalparte,chebastaloroperesseraccarezateeancheperessertenutebelle.”;“...peròciascunadivoimidaràlapartesuaperilritrattodellamiachimera.”Firenzuola,op. cit.

55Thecolorsare:“...ilbiondo,illionato,ilnegro,ilrosso,ilcandido,ilbianco,ilivermiglioeloincarnato...”Firenzuola,op. cit.

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It must be of proper size (same as forehead), narrow andstraight,turnedupalittleatthetip.Thelinesofnostrilsshouldbealmost invisible,butclearlydefined.Thecolorof thenoseshould be similar to that of the ears.The lips, “source of allsweetness”shouldberosyandsmall,not large,notvery thin,notvery thick.Chin shouldbe round, tingedwith tender roseand red.The throat ismostbeautifulwhen it is long, slender,softandlight,likeinadovewhoseneckisofgoldandpurple.Reminding, though, throughout the discourse, of the fact thatthereisnoperfectbeautyamongwomen,andthateveryoneofhisinterlocutorshassomedesirablefeatures,heconcludedthatawomanisaidedintheconcealmentofhernaturalimperfectionsbybothmakeupanddress56,andheadds:“...however,whenartisnotaidedbynature,itisofsmallaccomplishment(...)andtoconclude,Ishallsaythatnatureisthemistressofbeauty,andartishermaid.”57Wemayaskourselves:arethesenotthesamefeaturesandcolorswefindinbeautifulfacestoday,too?

So,solvingthedilemma,whichemergedatthelevelofeverydayexperience,althoughFirenzuolais themanofthe16thcentury

56Healsowarnsagainstthefalseuseofmakeup,whichcannotcreatebeauty,butonlytoconcealtheimperfections.

57“...nondimeno,quandol’artenonhal’aiutodallanatura,lafapoco,equelpocoriescemale(...)Eperòconcludendodiremochelanaturaèlamaestradellebellezeel’arteèunasuaancilla...”Firenzuola,op. cit.

Fig.7.AntoniodellPollaiuolo,Portait of a Lady,c.1465,StaatlicheMuseen,Berlin(http://www.wga.hu/framese.

html?/html/c/cellini/7/06graphi.html)

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(atleastinthemattersconcerningbeauty),hewassensitivetowhatispossibleandattainable.Healsodemonstrated,astakingpart inaconversationstartedbywomen,hisadherence to theAristoteliantraditionaccordingtowhichNatureisthenecessarymeans for creationofperfectbeauty,withoutwhich a skillfulcraftsman,anartist,cannotdirecthisactions.

Instead of a(n Impossible) Conclusion

New Questions Arise to Propose Future Discussions

Inthispaper,ItriedtodemonstratethattheDovecommercial,which I referred to, is a useful from a standing point of ahistorian, representation of the ancient process of studyselectionidealization, even if its creator had no theoricalknowledgeof,or even interest in, theancient speculationsonperfectbeauty.Ialsotriedtoremindusallthatisseemstomethat,overthecourseoftime,oneandthesameideaofartificialbeauty has been nourished, the one that we – in the present day – are facingwheneverwe arewatching the contents thatsuggest theexistenceofametarealityofferedusby themassmediatransmitters.Weareoverwhelmedbythatreality,anditservesasareminderofourgeneralimperfectionsratherthanasinspirationtocontemplateabetterreality.

Today,inthe“industryofbeauty”,artseemstohavereturnedtoitsancientmeaningofars(technē),withoutanabstractaestheticgoal. Each day,we face artificial beauties presented to us bythemassmedia.Today,with the growing number of “beautyhunters”,aidedby thesubstantialfinancialpotential, the idealofbeautyisbeingunderstoodinpracticalterms,anditsmaterialrealizationisseeminglypossible,meaningthatitisaccessibletomajorityofpeople.Theindustrialcreationofbeauty,farawayfrombeingreducedtocosmeticindustryortouseofcomputerimage,existsowingtothewiderdevelopmentoftechnology–suchasplasticsurgery,whichactuallyintroducedthecorrectionof natural deficiencies. The concept of ideal beauty had notchanged.Mediahad,andthedevelopmentoftechnologyallowedtheembodimentofpurifiednatureandtherepresentationoftheprocess of surpassing the nature, thus introducing artificialityintotherealspaceandtime.

The “Zeuxis” of today, the one sitting in front of a computermonitorwith a “mouse” in his palm,who uses,with a senseof ease, the physically absent brush in various shapes,whichselectsthenaturaldeficiencies,isnotinneedoffivemaidens.Heneedsonlyone...ornone.

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Letusopenonemoreproblemworthyofsomefuturediscussion,andask:Isapresentdayartist(orart,forthatmatter)–takingintoconsiderationthecontemporarytechnologicaladvancement– slipping back to the “craft”, to skill, reviving, at last, theconcept of “technē”, i.e. of “ars”, which originally was notmeant to denote artworks in the contemporary sense of theterm,58 but every product of acting purposefully according tocertainnorms?Arewewitnessingthedevelopmentofametatechne,bywhichthetechnique,craftsmanship,reconqueredthedomain of selfsufficiency?59The judgment of the “artist”, ofthecreatorof thecomputergeneratedphysicalbeauty, returnsto the inner concept or to themodels that are already clearlybuit intothesubconsciousness(aided,ofcourse,bythemediaofmasscommunication)whoseundisputed“beauty”isamatteragreedupona priori.Thus, thepurifiedbeauty that resides inouraestheticexperienceisfullyatwork.

And, again, we do not appreciate naturalism: which womanreallywishestolookliketheopulent“Dove”beauties?

Inart,naturalismhasneverbeenawelcomequality–notevenwhenthenaturewasacknowledgedasanartist’sguide.60

Even when it was cherished, it served as an extra means ofexpression,ifonlytoinspireempathyandexposethisimperfect

58Thosewiththe“aura”bestowedonthembytheartworld.See,e.g.,anotherexcellentanalysisoftheconceptofimage,etc.:BeltingH.(1994),Likeness and Presence. A History of the Image Before the Era of Art,Chicago.

59Onlyseeminglyunexpectedturnreflectedininstistingoncraftsmanshipinthemanneristartistic theory–themostuntalentedcanlearn,andthemosttalentedhastolearnrules.However,onthis,someothertime.

60Letusremember,briefly,Carravaggio’sexample.

Fig.8.Dove Beauty Campaign: Dove Beauty Curves (http://www.dove.us/SocialMission/campaignforrealbeauty.aspx)

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worldastheplaceoftheembodimentoftheDivineProvidence.Nature, corrupted and imperfect, was taken as unfit, andnaturalismwasemptywhenitwasusedforitsownsake,withoutacontent–thealluringcontent,thatis–whichislikeabeautifulideaofabeautifulrealitythatpleasestheeye.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Alberti,L.B.(1435)De Pictura (redazione volgare), Opere volgari, Cecil Grayson (Ed.), Bari, Laterza, 19601973(availableathttp://www.bibliotecaitaliana.it:6336/dynaweb/bibit/autori/a/alberti/de_pictura_volgare)

Firenzuola,A.(1541)Delle Bellezze delle Donne,(availableathttp://digilander.libero.it/bepi/bellezze/bellezze.htm)

Danti,V.(1567)Il primo libro del Trattato delle perfette proporzioni di tutte le cose che imitare e rittrare si possono con l’ arte del disegno,Firenze.

Tasso,T.(1616)“IlMinturnooverodellabellezza”,Opere non piu stampate del Signor Torquato Tasso,raccolteepublicatedaMarc’AntonioFoppa,RomaMDCLXVI

Bellori,G.P.(1672)“L’IdeadelPittore,delloScultore,edelArchitetto.SceltadellebellezzenaturalisuperioreallNatura”,Le Vite de pittori, scultori et architetti moderni, Parte prima,InRoma,PerilSuccess.alMascardi,Conlicenzade’Superiori,MDCLXXII

Panofsky,E.(1960)Idea: Ein Beitrag zur Begriffsgeschichte der alteren kunsttheorie,StudienderBibliothekWarburg,Nr.5,Berlin,VerlagBrunoHessling.

Pliny(1964)“TheFiveandThirtiethBookDiscoursethofPainting,Colour,andPainters”,The History of the World, Commonly Called The Natural History of C. Plinius Secundus, or Pliny,ed.Turner,P.,NewYorkTorontoLondon.

Lee,R.W.(1967)Ut Pictura Poesis. The Humanistic Theory of Painting,NewYork,W.W.Norton&Company,Inc.

Barasch,M.(1985)Theories of Art. From Plato to Winckelmann,NewYork.

Belting,H.(1994)Likeness and Presence. A History of the Image Before the Era of Art,Chicago,UniversityofChicagoPress.

Debray,R.(1995)Vie et mort de l’image,Paris,Gallimard.

Debray,R.(1996)Media Manifestos: On the Technological Transmission of Cultural Forms, London,Verso.

Debre,R.(2000)Uvod u mediologiju,Beograd,Clio

Roskill,M.(2000)Dolce’s Aretino and Venetian Art Theory of the Cinquecento,Toronto,TheRenaissanceSocietyofAmerica,Toronto.

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Prettejohn,E.(2005)Beauty & Art 17502000,Oxford,OxfordUniversityPress.

Zurovac,M.(2005)Tri lica lepote,Beograd,Službeniglasnik.

Vuksanović,D.(2007)Filozofija medija,Beograd,Fakultetdramskihumetnosti.

Alić,S.(2009)Mediji, od zavođenja do manipulacije,Zagreb,AGM.

Milosavljević,A.(2010),“ImalinamspasabezDomestosa?Docereipersuasio:Strašni Sudupotrošačkomdruštvu”,Zbornik radova Fakulteta dramskih umetnostiNo.17,Beograd,Fakultetdramskihumetnosti,pp.209217.

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Milosavljević,A.,ed.(2011)Umetnost kao medij masovne komunikacije,KulturaNo.131,Beograd:Zavodzaproučavanjekulturnograzvitka.

Pavletić,L.(2011)“Tkoikakoistražujemedije”,KulturaNo.133,Beograd:Zavodzaproučavanjekulturnograzvitka,pp.203211.

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АнгелинаМилосављевићАултУниверзитетСингидунум,Факултетзамедијеикомуникације,Београд

КАКОСТВОРИТИСАВРШЕНУЛЕПОТИЦУУУМЕТНОСТИИУСТВАРНОСТИ?

ОКУЛТУРИЛЕПОТЕИЊЕНИМСАВРЕМЕНИМИНОВОВЕКОВНИМСХВАТАЊИМА,КАОИОЗАСНИВАЊУ

ИКОНОГРАФИЈЕКАМПАЊЕDOVE REAL BEAUTYУНОВОВЕКОВНОЈУМЕТНОСТИИУМЕТНИЧКОЈ

ТЕОРИЈИ.ЈЕДАНПОГЛЕДИСТОРИЈСКОУМЕТНИЧКЕПРОВЕНИЈЕНЦИЈЕ

Сажетак

Иако историја не открива диктат лепоте какав данас намећеиндустрија лепоте, појам лепог, барем у домену ликовнихуметностинијебиодалекоодреализацијеиодданаспонуђенихстандарда. Телесна лепота је била схватана као одраз вишегсавршенства,алијебилатраженауприроди,иодњејепотицала.Селекцијом најлепшег из разних природних модела, она јередуковананазаједничкиименитељ,насредину.Природајебиламодел, водич, али несавршена, и вешти мајстор је могао да јепоправи,ињенусавршенијусликуреализујеууметности.Иданассеуиндустријилепотенегујуиистиидеалиистестратегијекојезнамоизстаријепраксе,стимштојеуупотребуушлакомпјутерскиобрађенаслика.Концептидеалнелепотесенијепроменио.Медијијесу,аразвојтехнологијејеомогућиоиотеловљењепрочишћенеприродеиоткривањапроцесањеногпревазилажењапреднашимочима,уводећиартифицијелностустварнипросторивреме,каоурекламизакампањупропагирањаприроднелепотекомпанијеDoveкојаилуструједревнипроцесстудијеселекцијеиидеализацијеууметности.Но, није само уметност, односно уметничка теорија,била средиште занимања и предлагања савршених модела. Онесу, чини се, биле јасан одраз друштвених тенденција, односнозанимањааристократскесрединеукојојсусепостављалапитањаипредлагалемогућностипревазилажењаприроднихнедостатакаужена,алиимушкараца,каоуделуАнђелаФиренцуоле,О лепоти жена,из1541.године.Овајрадпредстављасамоједанодприступа

темамакојеотваракултуралепоте.

Кључне речи: култура лепоте, идеализација, реклама за Dove, уметност и уметничка теорија 15. и 16. века, нови медији vs.стари

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